Students represent Macleans College at Bollywood Showdown competition
Posted on July 11, 2024
Nine students from the Macleans College Bollywood dance group competed in the Bollywood Showdown competition.
The competition is run by an independent group led by Mr Rahul Chopra, a teacher, mentor and marketing expert. Held at the Mahatma Gandhi Centre in Eden Terrace, students from 18 Auckland secondary schools took part. They performed in front of an audience of 1,300.
The group leaders of Lakshya Narooka (Hillary House), Deeksha Suresh (Mansfield) and Lakshmi Thilakeswaran (Te Kanawa) choreographed the six minute dance routine along with support from Miss Tisha Wadhwa, a Bollywood dance tutor who runs her own dance studio. After working together in the April school holidays, it was clear to see the students' growth in confidence and leadership skills. The group worked hard during Term 2 to perfect their routine with extra practices. They describe themselves as one big family that shares their love and passion for dance regardless of their abilities and experience.
The remainder of the group were: Suchalya Hewa Gamage (Batten), Yohansa Karunanayakalage (Batten), Kinjal Pandey (Rutherford), Suprita Prasad (Rutherford), Nithuki Pudagodage (Snell) and Haritha Radhakrishnan (Batten).
The dance was a mix of various styles of Bollywood dance such as bhangra, bharatanatyam, garba and bolly hip-hop.
The evening was a unique opportunity to be part of an event that connected the group to like-minded people and to further explore their love of dance. The connection to their own culture is incredibly important and one the group embraced. The students can be very proud of their hard work and commitment.
Thank you to the parents who supported the group and attended the performance.
